We thought we’d share the impression of a Group Leader, Sara of the Pioneer Girls. She found herself caught by surprise the other day by the simple profundity of an unguarded conversation between her girls. We probably could write a whole series of the times counselors are awe-struck by their campers, and vice versa, but you’d really have to be in the moment here to appreciate the way personalities unfold at camp.

We are proud that our staff are people who are ever present; they guide campers towards independence, kindness, resilience, respect and positive thinking. But in the life of a camper, many lessons are self-taught.

A Moment…

Written by: Sara Guttentag, Group Leader of the Pioneer Girls

As I was walking up Girls Trail from the waterfront, I overheard two of my campers discussing the topic of time travel. One of the girls posed the question, “If you could time travel, would you choose to travel backwards in time, to the past or forwards into the future?”

One of the girls decided she would want to travel back in time, and her explanation was very thoughtful. By going back in time, she could learn from past mistakes and make more friends. With the hindsight knowledge and understanding that traveling into the past would allow, she felt she could establish stronger friendships and get to know people better. Her argument against future time travel was that jumping ahead would prevent her from getting to know the true character of people that she’d meet. While people often judge others from first impressions and appearances, she wanted to make sure that she has the chance to really get to know the person on the inside. She felt the opportunity to take her experience and use it, would make for a better future.

The maturity and insight that these young campers showed in a simple private conversation really stood out to me. At the age of 9, they were taking the time to discuss friendships and the value of meeting others. Although this moment was insignificant to them, I saw this conversation as a true testament to the importance of small moments that really contribute to the camp experience.

Walking up the trail with no other distractions allowed for honest, thoughtful conversation; unbeknownst to them while they were talking about creating stronger friendships and the value of learning from experience, they too were becoming better friends in the process.